A Spiritual Journey: Freedom and Healing with Sadhvi Siddhali Shree

Spirituality is more than just being concerned about your soul and spirit. It is a journey of self-love and finding oneself as you apply spiritual practices in the different parts of your life. It can be found in your daily life, on the screens of films, practiced even amidst war, and used to find freedom in your being. No matter where you are in this moment, you can begin your spiritual journey find yourself.

Sadhvi Siddhali Shree decided to go on a spiritual journey to heal and change her life. She joins us in this episode of the Radically Loved Podcast to talk about her journey of healing and growth. Siddhali experienced childhood trauma, fought in a war, and struggled to find herself. Despite all that, she now found her bliss and passion in monkhood and spreading awareness of violence worldwide. 

Keep moving forward in your spiritual journey, and find inspiration from Siddhali's story when you tune into this episode!

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: 

  1. Find out how spirituality can become your freedom.

  2. Learn how you can grow and improve through applying spiritual practices in your daily life.

  3. Understand how finding the negatives in your spiritual journey can bring out the positive aspects of yourself.

Resources

    Episode Highlights

    [02:20] Siddhali’s Beginnings

    • Siddhali grew up in California. She grew up in a Catholic environment and was religious.

    • Growing up, she experienced trauma.

    • It’s important to always come to the beginning. All you’ve experienced makes you who you are today.

    [02:55] “I always come back to my beginning because that's the humble humility practice of the spiritual path. You came from somewhere. You've experienced so many things. And it's through the values, the life experiences, that's what turn you into the being who you are today.” - Click Here to Tweet

    [05:00] Finding Yourself Through a Spiritual Journey

    • Siddhali is a sadhvi, a Jain monk, a US army veteran, an international speaker, author, filmmaker, and social justice warrior.

    • She had always been religious. However, she started feeling lost and angry at God after experiencing hardship.

    • Catholicism focused on serving God and others while silencing your own voice. Siddhali had to choose between following the God of her past or the God in whom she found bliss.

    • She decided to find herself. Siddhali never lost her religiousness but instead expanded her energy,

    • Religion boxed her in; spirituality was freedom.

    [10:59] “Everybody's on the same journey. We're just at different places.”  - Click Here to Tweet

    [11:16] Fighting a War Inside and Out

    • Siddhali underwent training and was part of the army national guard. She deployed near the beginning of her spiritual journey with the help of her spiritual master.

    • She was determined to persevere and continue practicing her spirituality during the war. Military training was similar to a monk's in terms of discipline and structure.

    • Despite that promise, Siddhali started feeling like she was losing herself. 

    • Everybody was happy to see her when she returned home, but few wanted to listen and understand what she experienced.

    • War was different. Everybody's fighting an internal war, but nobody talks about it.

    [16:19] Freedom and Healing in Spirituality

    • Siddhali was trying to heal didn't know how to return to normal. Instead, she turned to unhealthy coping strategies.

    • It reached a point when she realized she needed help to change. Siddhali went to her teacher to start training and create her own bubble of spiritual living.

    • Many of her friends and family opposed her. Siddhali never stopped loving them, but she's no longer as attached and doesn't let them hold her back.

    • She wanted to focus on spirituality and her spiritual journey. It’s where she found freedom and what brought out her soul.

    [20:49] “ I want to focus on spirituality because that is what I can see as the only freedom. There's no freedom in money. There's no freedom in fame. There's nothing in ego, power, like all of that stuff. None of that is going to bring me to my soul inside of me. It's actually more of a distraction.” - Click Here to Tweet

    [25:29] Conquering Your Self Through a Spiritual Journey

    • Your external struggle may be against friends, family, and life. But you must master your self.

    • It’s a constant fight to see each of your flaws and still be able to love yourself. Transform your weaknesses into something much greater.

    • Pratikraman is a spiritual practice of self-analysis. Analyze your main mistake throughout the day and be aware of the violence you commit to yourself and others.

    • Once you see your flaws and wrongdoings, you can be aware and critical of yourself to grow into your higher self.

    [26:54] “This is truly the practice of unconditional love, where you can see every weakness and lower quality inside of you, and still say, ‘I love you, I got you.’ We're going to transform all of these into something greater inside of us.” - Click Here to Tweet

    [31:08] Healing Through Filmmaking

    • When Siddhali was in high school, she first experienced the joy of filmmaking and television.

    • As she grew older, she suppressed the trauma she experienced. However, she relived her entire trauma during meditation a few years into monkhood.

    • Siddhali connected her traumatic experiences with the issues of human trafficking happening worldwide. She wanted to make an impact on it.

    • Film became her medium. Siddhali found courage with the help of her teacher and made her first film about human trafficking. In a way, it was also the start of her healing journey.

    [40:42] The Spirituality in Filmmaking

    • Film brings back the spirituality in the pain she and many victims experienced. It is through that pain that they can heal. 

    • Filmmaking is also a spiritual practice. It served as a way to start conversations and bring awareness to issues such as these.

    • Spirituality should view the positive and negative. Practitioners should be ready to accept both.

    • Siddhali's work of helping others is her way of meditation. It is where she finds joy and freedom and helps herself grow.

    • You need the courage to go into the dark, negative places of life. Through that, you'll also be able to bring out the good and the positive in yourself.

    [42:49] “So many things that are happening in the spiritual sense, but everything starts with you. And the courage and the willingness to go into the dark and just bring that kind of weapon of rightness and bliss and love and all of the good stuff.” - Click Here to Tweet

    About Sadhvi Siddhali Shree

    Sadhvi Siddhali Shree is a Jain female monk, US Army Iraq veteran, international speaker, author, documentarian, and social activist. She’s passionate about spreading awareness and advocating for social movements that focus on non-violence and human rights through film and writing. Siddhali also serves as the Spiritual Director of Siddhayatan Tirth and the International Society of Human Unity.

    You can learn more about Siddhali and her works on her website.

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    To feeling radically loved,

    Rosie

    Rosie AcostaMexican American Teacher, First Gen Mexican American, Mindfulness Teacher, Latinx, Teacher